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Eldar
"Trust not in their appearance, for the Eldar are as alien to good, honest men as the vile Tyranids and savage Orks. There is no understanding them for there is nothing to understand - they are a random force in the universe." ''- Imperial Commander Abriel Hume'' Eldar Eldar Traditions and Practices One of the eldest of voidfaring races, the Eldar had reached the pinnacle of their society even as primitive man sat around a fire, gazing at the stars in wonder. Having reached a point where their technology provided for their basic needs and fulfilled all menial tasks, they turned to more aesthetic and artistic passtimes. Creating unrivaled works of beauty. However as they explored deeper and deeper into methods of artistry and expression, they began to delve more and more into depravity aswell. Pleasure cults springing up through their worlds and gaining influence. Over time their excess reached such a level that combined with their mentally heightened and psychic minds affected the warp, subtly at first, but growing as they themselves fell into darker and more depraved acts. Some of their race, seeing this fall into depravity fled in the craftworlds, or colonized the Exodite and Maiden worlds while the others sank lower and lower; culminating in the birth of a god. Known as the fall, much of the Eldar race was decimated as the psychic birth scream of Slaanesh tore into the physical realm, glutting on their souls and creating the Eye of Terror. They few remaining survivors of this devastation slowly began to rebuild before finding to their horror that the Prince of Excess was not sated on his initial feast of souls, slowly continuing to drain them further. Developing the soulstones and Infinity Circuit to combat this. Upon their death their souls would be contained within their soulstone, saving it from the predations of She Who Thirsts (Slaanesh) and be integrated into the Infinity Circuit, which contains nearly all the souls saved in such a manner. They also adopted a strict, disciplined lifestyle. One where they dedicated themselves to a single aspect, or Path. An eldar may explore many paths in their long life, but they may also dedicate themselves to their chosen path, gaining a depth of understanding and experience few others can match. Those that delve deep into an aspect of war run risk of becoming spiritually trapped, or 'lost on the path', of that aspect. Unable to stand down from combat readyness, they spend their existence tending the shrines of their aspect, and training new aspect warriors, and honing their already considerable combat skills. These warriors, known as Exarchs, are both feared and revered by the Eldar. They represent a fate possible to all Eldar, but also epitomise the potential of a truly dedicated soul. Eldar Evolution Eldar Appearance Superficially, the Eldar appear very similar to elves. They are long-lived by human standards, and most will live more than a thousand years unless they die from accident or disease. Eldar also have much faster metabolic rates than humans, and their cardiac and neurological systems are more advanced. These traits manifest in their vastly heightened reactions and agility compared to humans. To them humans seem to move in slow motion with a certain degree of awkwardness, while to humans the Eldar can move with distracting grace and can be blindingly fast in combat. As a race they have a high level of psychic ability, which serves as the foundation of their technology. The Eldar that actively cultivate their psychic potential seem to exhibit a much-extended lifespan as well, one proportional to their prowess. The Farseers of the Eldar can live for several thousand years. Eldar are mentally far superior to humans, and feel all emotions much more strongly, requiring the Eldar to exercise constant restraint to avoid mental break down. Eldar seem to reproduce in stages, with new genetic material being added by the father to the developing embryo over an extended period. This process is ill-understood, but Eldar autopsies are suggestive of it. Eldar PCs Craftworld Eldar Characteristics Before the Fall, the space-cities that were called the craftworlds fled from the encroaching cataclysm, carrying a tiny proportion of the Eldar race to safety and permanent exile. Each craftworld originated from one or more of the ancient Eldar planets. Over the centuries, the craftworlds’ occupants sought out other surviving Eldar amongst the far-flung Exodite colonies, and even began to settle new worlds of their own. In this way the paths of Eldar and Mankind met for the first time and Humans became acquainted with the most ancient and enigmatic of the galaxy’s living races. The names of the greatest craftworlds were soon heard upon human lips: Alaitoc, Iyanden, Biel-Tan, Saim-Hann, and Ulthwé. Yet to this day it is doubtful that more than a few humans have ever set foot upon an Eldar craftworld. Eldar who originate from craftworlds are likely to have left due to the strict and harsh lifestyle enforced there. Some leave because they have yet to see the wisdom of the paths, but others because they know they must exercise their wanderlust before they can return. CRAFTWORLD TRAITS Craftworld-Bound: Your early life exposed you only to the giant cities of the Eldar, and you are hopelessly lost in ‘less natural’ conditions. :Penalty: You take a -10 penalty to all Survival (Int) tests, and while out of the reach of civilization (e.g., places without manufactured goods, solid ceilings, and electrical power) you take a -5 penalty to all Intelligence tests. Erudite: You possess a vast knowledge of Eldar history and tactics. :Benefit: Craftworld Eldar characters gain Forbidden Lore (Xenos) (Int) and treat Common Lore (War) (Int), Forbidden Lore (Warp) (Int) and Forbidden Lore (Psykers) (Int) as Basic Skills. Strong-Willed: Your early life of strict discipline has left its mark on you. :Benefit: You gain +3 Willpower. Techwise: The mysteries of technology are not so mysterious to those who live on craftworlds. :Benefit: Tech-Use (Int) is a Basic Skill for you. Exodite Eldar Characteristics EXODITE WORLD SKILLS Exodites are raised to be in harmony with the animals that assist in their living. Exodites gain the Wrangling (Int) skill. EXODITE WORLD TRAITS Exodites gain the following Traits. Record all of these on your character sheet. Primitive: Exodites live under a voluntary regime of self-denial and basic living. Whilst they have not completely shunned technology, they know less than would an Eldar from a Crafworld. :Penalty: You take a -10 penalty on Tech-Use(Int) tests and a -10 penalty to Fellowship tests made when dealing with non-Exodites; this is cumulative when dealing with non-Eldar, however, they negate this penalty as well, as the penalty for Justifiably Arrogant when dealing with Feral-World humans. Strong-Willed: Your early life of self-denial has left its mark on you. :Benefit: You gain +3 Willpower. Wary: Exodites are constantly on the lookout for danger, be it natural or otherwise. :Benefit: Exodites gain a +1 bonus to Initiative rolls. Wilderness Savvy: Exodites are accustomed to hunting and gathering their food. :Benefit: Navigation (Surface) (Int), Survival (Int) and Tracking (Int) count as Basic Skills for Eldar Exodites. Pirate-Born Eldar Characteristics The wildest of all the spacefaring Eldar become corsairs and raiders. They often continue to trade and visit their craftworld or the Exodite worlds whilst plundering the ships of Humans, Orks, and even other Eldar. They even sometimes hire out their services to alien races, while many voyages of exploration soon become military ventures. As home and the Eldar path become increasingly remote, the naturally wild and amoral character of the Eldar resurfaces. Eldar pirates are quick tempered and unpredictable, equally inclined to magnanimity and wanton slaughter. Pirate born characters did not choose this life but were born into it. Regardless of how they move forward they will carry some of their lessons and habits with them. PIRATE BORN SKILLS Eldar who were born on ships that traverse the webway do not find the mysteries of the webway to be so mysterious, and gain the Forbidden Lore (Webway) (Int) and Navigation (Webway) (Int) skills. PIRATE BORN TRAITS Chaos Unchecked: Your lack of discipline early in life has left you more susceptible to the lures and powers of Chaos. :Penalty: You take a -5 on all tests made to resist psychic powers that charm or decieve. Free Spirited: Though Eldar Pirates adhere to strict ship discipline, personal discipline is a bit more lax. :Benefit: Pirate Born Eldar gain a +5 bonus to Carouse (T), Charm (Fel) and Deceive (Fel) tests. Shipwise: Birthed in the depths of a spacefaring craft, you have a natural affinity for such vehicles. :Benefit: Navigation (Stellar) (Int) and Pilot (Spacecraft) (Ag) are Basic Skills for you. Void Accustomed: Due to your spacefaring childhood, you find yourself unphased by changing gravity. :Benefit: You are immune to space travel sickness. In addition, zero- or low-gravity environs are not considered Difficult Terrain for you. Fate Eldar Careers :Guardian (Guardsman) :Ranger (Assassin) :Warlock (Rogue Psyker) :Path of the Artisan (Tech Priest) :Path of the Warrior :Path of the Outcast :Path of Command Eldar Skills :Basic Weapons Training (Laser) :Basic Weapons Training (Shuriken) :Pistol Weapons Training (Laser) :Pistol Weapons Training (Shuriken) :Heavy Weapons Training (Laser) :Heavy Weapons Training (Shuriken) :Heavy Weapons Training (Launcher) Common Eldar Traits Inhuman Grace Eldar are impossibly dexterous and agile by human standards. :Benefit: All Eldar have the Unnatural Agility (x2) trait. Justifiably Arrogant Eldar know beyond a doubt that they are the supreme race in the galaxy, and this knowledge manifests itself with a hint (more like a signed edict) of arrogance when dealing with non-Eldar. :Penalty: You take a -10 penalty to Fellowship Tests made when dealing with any non-Eldar race. Keen Senses Eldar sensory organs perform more acutely than most other races. :Benefit: You gain the Heightened Senses (Sight) and Heightened Senses (Hearing) talents. Naturally Psychic All Eldar, in some manner, have the ability to manipulate mental energies. Some, as in humans, have this more than others, but all have at least some connection to their own psychic energies. :Benefit: Eldar treat Psyniscience as a Basic Skill and gain a +10 bonus to any Psyniscience Skill checks. Spirit Stone All Eldar are granted a stone at birth that is attuned to them and will stop their soul from crossing into the warp when it leaves the body. Eldar know that if they ever lose this stone their fate is sealed. :Penalty: You carry a Spirit Stone. You will guard this Waystone with your life and will pursue any measure necessary to retrieve it should it ever be lost, for you know this alone keeps you from the predations of the Great Enemy. Category:Xenos Category:Races